How can the Khmer possibly fit 6 people on a moto, when we are struggling with only three?
Doing my best to hold on to Sophia who's sitting in front of me, I marvel at the city around me: boys showing of their dance ruotines in the park, couples sitting by the Tonle Sap, people flocking to the night market, girls in skirts so short they barely count, loads of make-up and heels so high that for once I don't feel
that much of a giant. Ladyboys walking by, giggling in their surprisingly highpitched voices. Music from every restaurant and bar. A warm breeze. Boats with blinking lights and loud music slowly going down the river.
Again on the back of a moto. The sun is rising, people waking up. Slightly chilly. Lady's doing morning gymnastics, while others practise some sort of sword fighting. The same boys are again in the park, this time practising new dance ruotines, maybe for tonight's 'performance'? People jogging past restaurants and stores that are starting to open. A couple of monks are already starting to wander around, hoping for alms in form of rice. The streets are still empty, except for a couple of cyclos and motos heading for the morning markets.
Although a bit overwhelming at first, after being used to the 'countryside' with one main street, one market place, animals everywhere and the open air, it felt good
(and slightly like being in China) to be in a big city again. The air felt barely breathable after the countryside though, but we did as the locals and bought checkered scarves to protect us from sun and pollution... and to fit in, of course.
When only having one whole day in Phnom Penh, we didn't have time to do much else then visit the Tuol Sleng prison and be horrified of what happened in this country only 35 years ago...
...only to visit the gold shimmering Royal Palace after that.
Phnom Penh is full of contrasts, which was clearly visible when driving out of Phnom Penh the next day
(took over an hour to get out of the city...) first 'old town', then the business and governmental area with it's huge soviet like buildings, then 'slum' area surrounding big factories...
...and finally open fields, cows and houses made out of tree erected on poles again.
'We've finally reached the sea! But... it's not all that we wished it to be, and so we might leave Krong Koh Kong for Sihanoukville or then just head straight for Siem Reap and the temples. Too bad, I could have done with some
hammock-laying-and-eating-on-matresses-on-the-floor-before-jumping-into-the-water-from-the-restaurants-terass - Don Det style living after Phnom Penh. But we'll probably find that somewhere, and I've heard the Temples of Angkor Wat are well worth heading to Siem Reap for....
//H
Thank you mom! And 'Lisa', we love comments. Oh, and it probably doesn't look so warm, considering what we are wearing on the pics, but apparently it was about 30 degrees.... and 25 at it's coldest during the night. We must have gotten more used to the heat than we thought.
